NFL Outrage ERUPTS—Look Who’s On The Sidelines

Photo: Chris Rubino / Shutterstock

The “controversy” over male NFL cheerleaders fizzles fast once you see how common they already are.

Story Snapshot

Multiple NFL teams field men on cheer rosters as dancers and stunt athletes.
The Los Angeles Rams put male dancers on the field in 2018 and at the Super Bowl.
Reports count more than 70 men across 11 teams for the 2025 season.
Rosters list many men as stunt performers, highlighting strength roles on game day.

Male Cheerleaders Are Not New, And They’re Not Rare

Teams across the league already use men on cheer squads. The lists shift by season, but current coverage shows at least 11 franchises with men on rosters. These include clubs like the Ravens, Rams, Saints, Buccaneers, Eagles, 49ers, Patriots, Titans, Colts, Chiefs, Panthers, Vikings, and Seahawks depending on the roster snapshot and date. Reporters also note role splits. Many men appear as stunt performers, where lifts and partner skills need power and control. The practice looks less like a stunt and more like a staffing choice that fits the job.

The most public milestone came in 2018, when the Los Angeles Rams added two male dancers, Napoleon Jinnies and Quinton Peron. They later performed at the Super Bowl, and league media framed it as a first in that specific role category. That event made headlines because it put male dancers, not just stunt men, in uniform on the biggest stage in football. ABC News later noted that Rams tryouts were open to everyone; those two were the men who showed up and made the cut. That is a simple, open standard most fans can respect.

What The Numbers Actually Say

Roster counts vary by outlet and week, which happens every season with depth charts and practice squads. Still, two points hold. First, the number of teams with male cheerleaders sits near a dozen. Second, the total number of male cheerleaders hovers around 70 or more for 2025 in the public lists. One reason for the variation is role labels. Some teams count only dancers. Others include stunt performers. That mix changes how outsiders tally “cheerleaders,” but the presence of men across many squads does not change.

Function matters as much as headcount. Stunt roles need strength, timing, and safety checks. Mixed-gender groups give coaches more options for pyramids, tosses, and holds. That is performance, not politics. When you watch a one-handed extension with a smooth cradle catch, you care that nobody drops a teammate, not who did the lift. Teams that treat cheer like a true athletic unit tend to recruit for those skills and then let the routines prove the choice was smart.

The Backlash Is Loud Online But Thin On Substance

Social media reaction to teams like the Vikings has included insults, eye-rolls, and vows to switch allegiances. Some critics say cheerleading should be women-only, while others complain about style or “masculinity.” That noise draws clicks, but it does not erase what fans see at games: choreographed work that syncs with music, timeouts, and sponsor cues. Coverage tracks the spike in online anger, yet it also shows teams standing by their rosters and many fans cheering the inclusion on its merits. From a conservative, common-sense view, merit and results should lead.

Claims that this is brand-new or a forced social experiment miss the timeline. The Rams integrated male dancers in 2018 and appeared on the league’s biggest stage with them soon after. Several teams have since followed, and the number has grown, season by season, because the roles fill real needs. If a move is only about headlines, it fades. If it helps performance, it sticks. The growth tells you which one this is.

What Teams Could Do To Close The Perception Gap

Teams can reduce confusion with plainer language. Post audition packets that spell out open eligibility, clear skill tests, and role definitions. Label dancers versus stunt performers on public rosters so fans know who does what. Share short clips that show a stunt, then a sideline routine, then community events, so people see the full job. The Rams’ “open to everyone” framing gave a clean answer that matched the product on the field. More clubs should do the same.

Firstly, what does a male nfl cheerleader have to do with your "children"?
Secondly, who is he hurting?
Thirdly, you do realize male cheerleaders have been a thing for a very long time, right? Why is it suddenly a problem in the 2010s and 2020s?

— 🗽🇺🇸❄️Arctic Frost 2❄️🇺🇸🗽🔞(new account.) (@garfiel53640955) September 1, 2026

Fans ask for two things in the end: a great game and a show that fits the moment. Mixed-gender squads can deliver both. When a timeout hits and a squad nails a lift sequence or a tight routine, the stadium lifts with it. That is why this change spread. It helps the show work better. If the results keep landing, the hot takes cool off, as they always do, and the conversation returns to football where it belongs.